http://www.simplyconsistent.com/Blogs.php

If you think about the places people visit for leisure, you'll probably
include destinations like museums. Some museums have very strict "no
touch" policies" because their artifacts are very old and fragile and may
need to be in special cases where temperature and humidity are closely
monitored. Touchable reproductions of those artifacts and audio
descriptions associated with the artifacts allow all visitors to gain new
insights into the display and brings their story to life!

Science museums are places where you expect to be able to touch, turn,
twist or otherwise interact with the exhibit. However, not all of these
exhibits are inviting and accessible. Static pictures and computer
stations (simulations) that are set up like video games are example of
"fences" built around learning opportunities. These fences block out
visitors who learn by touch, sound or non-visual techniques.

How would you feel if you paid admission to a museum to find out that a
number of places within the building were not accessible to you simply
because you don't learn like "everyone else?" I think you'd have a right
to be upset, yet this happens all the time because some people don't think
it's important to create an exhibit for everyone to participate.

I wonder...why can't science exhibits be fun, engaging, welcoming and
accessible for all people? Why not add transparent Braille or audio to an
exhibit panel and make it accessible? Why not make touchable versions of
pictures? Why not make computer simulations accessible so that that people
who are blind or have learning disabilities can use them independently?

I believe that accessibility should be the norm and I am committed to
making space science accessible without these barriers. Let's make
learning an opportunity for everyone and not a privilege for only people
who learn by sight. It's time to tear down those fences!
Noreen Grice

Noreen Grice Speaks at at U.S. Access Board Town Hall Meeting

The United States Access Board is an independent Federal agency committed to design that is accessible to persons with disabilities. On Thursday, May 28, 2009, the U.S. Access Board held a Boston Town Hall Meeting. I was invited as a panelist on Museum Exhibit Design where I spoke on accessibility in a planetarium theater.

I think many people assume that astronomy is one field that can't be made accessible. After all, you can't touch the stars -- can you? Yes you can!
I design accessible tactile astronomical images that people can touch.
Some people use these images during planetarium shows while others enjoy the tactile images from my accessible astronomy books at home or in school.

But I don't just design touchable pictures. I'm a problem solver who makes programs and facilities accessible and welcoming to audiences of all abilities.

I began my presentation by describing how a group of blind students opened my eyes to making astronomy accessible 25 years ago. Back then, I didn't know how to make science accessible but I experimented with many techniques along the way and began work on a series of books. I'm not done yet! I believe that accessibility is a moving target. New technologies offer new opportunities of enrichment and access for people with a variety of needs and learning styles. That includes you and me.

After the panel session, several people came up to me to say they had no idea how accessible a theater could be...they assumed that a blind person would not enjoy a planetarium show if they were not accompanied by a sighted friend. I wonder if they are in line for the next planetarium show right now!

However, it is important to remember that there are still barriers that exist for people in everyday life. For example, one gentleman who uses a wheelchair described his difficulty in traveling on uneven brick sidewalks and narrow paths. As he put it, "people look like they are in a centrifuge standing up against buildings so make room for my chair to pass. Why can't sidewalks be made wider for everyone?"

I am committed to making science accessible to everyone and encouraging students of all abilities to consider careers in science and engineering.
I hope those students and others will continue to make accessibility the norm for all of us. We each have one life -- let's remove these barriers.

- Noreen Grice, President
You Can Do Astronomy LLC
Manager : Kathleen Checki, Simply Consistent , INC.

NPR: Hubble & Prying Eyes
Source: www.npr.org
The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth for 19 years and is about to get its final tuneup. NPR asked astronomers to share their favorite Hubble images and to explain why these are the ones that made them go "wow!"

NPR asks Noreen Grice to share her favorite Hubble image

To book Noreen for your next speaking engagement